PKC-S: Series Fontana event report

FELKINS AND MENEZES SCORE WINS AT KAL-GARD GRAND PRIX
Perfect weather and a deep paddock highlight start of ProKart Challenge
South 2010 season
FONTANA, CA (January 30, 2010) -- The 2010 edition of the Superkarts! USA program was kicked...

FELKINS AND MENEZES SCORE WINS AT KAL-GARD GRAND PRIX
Perfect weather and a deep paddock highlight start of ProKart Challenge
South 2010 season

FONTANA, CA (January 30, 2010) -- The 2010 edition of the Superkarts! USA program was kicked off
in fine style at CalSpeed Karting this past weekend when the ProKart
Challenge South officials played host to 95 drivers at the Kal-Gard Grand
Prix in Fontana, Calif. SKUSA's new class structure and licensing
program was finally debuted to the country, and the resulting grids
proved to be extremely successful. The series also enjoyed a solid
turnout in the TaG Senior category, which bodes well for the season. The
two winners of the headline classes were Brett Felkins in S1 and Gustavo
Menezes in TaG Senior, while Fernando Diaz and Jason Campbell were
impressive in dominant outings at the front of the G1 and S4 classes,
respectively.

The debut of the new S1-S2-S3 ladder of progression in the Stock Moto
class was a definite success, with 22 drivers taking to the track
separated through the three levels of racing. As these numbers grow
through the season, the competition will only grow stronger and
stronger. In the headline S1 Pro Stock Moto class, a few expected
entrants were not able to make the trek to CalSpeed, leaving six talented
drivers to begin the year with some heated competition. Clinton Schoombee
(CRG) came out of the gate strongly in taking the pole during qualifying,
edging Brett Felkins (Intrepid) and Tommy Thompson (Energy) for the
inside of the front row for the opening moto. Schoombee and Felkins
would split the two heat races, running nose-to-tail in each one,
swapping the lead on several occasions. In the 20-lap main event,
Felkins would step up his game to score the big victory to start off the
new year. Schoombee would end up going for a wild up-and-over ride late
in the race after making contact with one of the curbing tires, which
vaulted Brad Dunford (CRG) to a strong second place finish ahead of Peter
Abba (GP). Thompson would finish fifth after falling well back following
a turn one altercation with Jimmy McNeil (CRG), putting Schoombee in
fifth in the final tally. It was a solid start to the S1 program, which
will feature the finest shifterkart pilots in the SKUSA community.

The S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto class was particularly exciting, as the future
stars of SKUSA put on a great show all day. A pair of young guns fought
it out in qualifying as Billy Musgrave (CRG) edged Race Liberante
(Maddox) by a scant 0.036 seconds during the timed run. Former Indy
Lights race winner Arie Luyendyk Jr. (Birel) was third in the initial
order ahead of Bryce Miller (Sodikart) and Ryon Beachner (Tony Kart).
Just as in S1, two drivers took heat race wins as both Musgrave and
Liberante would take turns at the front, setting up for a big battle in
the main. The duo was embroiled in a thrilling scrap until Liberante
slowed with a mechanical issue midway through the race, allowing Musgrave
to stretch away to a 6.703-second advantage over Miller and Luyendyk.
Erik Jackson (Arrow) and Cody Diede (Intrepid) rounded out the top-five.

An encouraging group of six Novice Stock Moto drivers hit the pavement in
the S3 class with Vinny Maestas (CRG) and Jason Attwood (Arrow) both
performing well in qualifying, timing inside the overall top 10 in the
race group, which also included the G1 competitors. Tristan Orear
(Italkart) was third in qualifying, timing in ahead of Steve Berg (Arrow)
and Todd Wilson (GP). Maestas would prove to be the driver to beat all
day, although he and Attwood went at it in the main for several laps
before slipping past a G1 driver to build some cushion between himself
and his challenger. Attwood would hold on to second, while Berg took
third ahead of Orear and Jessica Sollberger (Arrow).

Running with S3 in the final race group of the day, the G1 class enjoyed
a good turnout. Fernando Diaz was unbeatable at CalSpeed in sweeping all
four official G1 sessions to take the early lead in the points, beginning
the outing by out-qualifying Troy Butts (CRG) by 0.142 seconds. Robert
Marks (CRG) was third quick, just ahead of Nick Firestone (Tony Kart) and
PP Mastro (CRG) on the charts. After Diaz walked the field by over three
seconds in both heat races, he found himself behind Mastro at the start
of the final when the veteran got a great launch at the green light.
Diaz would only be held back for a couple of laps, immediately stretching
out another advantage once he slipped by Mastro, who would hold on to
second. Firestone would finish up in third, while Roy Montgomery (CRG)
bounced back from a heat race flip to take fourth ahead of Butts.

In the S4 Stock Moto Masters category, a daylong battle ensued between
Jason Campbell (Tony Kart) and three-time SuperNationals winner Jeff
Littrell (Tony Kart). Littrell drew first blood by qualifying on the
pole by 0.257 seconds over Campbell, with Wayne Mello (Tony Kart), Doug
Hayashi (Tony Kart) and Willy Musgrave (Arrow) completing the fast five.
Campbell turned it up for the first heat race to edge Littrell, but
Musgrave would do the same in the second moto to secure the pole for the
main. Littrell suffered through a pair of spins in the second heat and
needed to claw his way back to tenth, making life tough for himself with
a row five starting spot in the final. Despite the fact that Musgrave
would turn the fastest lap in the main event, Campbell was untouchable,
walking away to a 9.534-second win over Littrell, who put in an
impressive recovery. Mello completed the podium in third, while Paul
Russell (Tony Kart) advanced to fourth ahead of Musgrave. In S4 Magnum,
Todd Scholta (CRG) took the win over Marc Lewis (Kosmic) and Robert
Morales (GP).

The TaG Senior class drew 16 competitors, highlighted by some of the
sport's brightest stars, quickest veterans and fastest up-and-comers.
Tony Kart West's Gustavo Menezes qualified on the pole ahead of Bobby
Kelley (Maddox) and veteran Billy Cleavelin (CRG), while Phil Giebler (FA
Kart) and Kyle Shriver (Avanti) capped the top-five. Giebler put his
considerable talent on display as the former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year
won both heat races handily, but he dropped out of the main event at the
halfway point with a broken exhaust, leaving the spotlight to Menezes and
Shriver. After swapping the top spot more than once, Menezes made his
move for the win in the late going and was able to hold off a determined
Shriver for the victory. A thrilling battle for third ended with Travis
Lowe (Kosmic) taking the final step on the podium, winning out over Devin
Lindsay (Maddox) and Billy Cleavelin (CRG). In TaG Masters, Paul Bonilla
(Birel) went four-for-four, taking the pole, two heat race wins and the
main event by 0.404 seconds over Ron Rossetti (Arrow) and Jeff Bobbitt
(Tony Kart).

In the Junior classes, the debut of the S5 Junior Stock Moto class in the
ProKart Challenge South was big for the series, with four drivers making
up the first grid. Scott Phillips (PTK) would find his way to the front
at the end of the main, outrunning Augie Lerch (Intrepid) for the
inaugural win. Matias Podboj (CRG) finished third ahead on Micah
Hendricks (Tony Kart). In TaG Junior, Louie Pagano (Birel) qualified
second to Emmanuel Mestre (Kosmic) and then proceeded to dominate the
proceedings. Pagano's team made big changes heading into the 20-lap
final and the result was a kart no one could catch, propelling him to a
5.106-second advantage at the checkered flag.

As always, PKC South's Tom Kutscher dolled out some nice prizes
following the podium presentations, awarding two sets of MG race tires
and free entries to the next ProKart Challenge event to their valued
customers. The next PKC South race is set for Willow Springs Kart Track
on February 26-27, while the SKUSA crew heads to Infineon Raceway first
on February 12-13 to kick off the ProKart Challenge North. All of these
events lead to the opening round of the SKUSA Pro Tour on April 16-18 in
Sonoma, CA.